Happiness Comes in Waves
by saiyuri-dahlia
Summary: Of course the hot guy Shad met on the beach that didn't think he was immature or barmy for believing in mermaids was one of the merfolk. Shad/Link, Mermaid AU.


Story Title: Happiness Comes In Waves

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight Princess.

Author's Notes: This is a gift fic for Shadlink64 based on a fanart of theirs-FF unfortunately doesn't allow links to be posted and will do wonky things if I try, unlike AO3, so I cannot link to the art here, but please check out their deviantart page for their works.

The story title was another placeholder that stuck. It's surprisingly difficult to find a fitting quote about mermaids that can be used in reference to a male mermaid—for obvious reasons. The only other title I could come up with was one I've already used, so the placeholder won by default. There's just not a good word for a male mermaid—merman just doesn't cut it for me. inspire me as mermaid does.

As always, thanks for reading.

-o-

Story Title: Happiness Comes In Waves

-o-

_It cannot all be a fabrication of the mind passed on from person to __person to__ towns to kingdoms. Every land has their own legend of water-dwelling merfolk and fae,_ Shad wrote in the margin of his notes. _Sailors, drunk from spirits or lack of sleep, mistaking sea creatures swimming or clumps of kelp stuck on rock formations __cannot be the source of all mermaid tales._

The young scholar was not positive what he had expected when he had checked out a book that claimed boldly on the cover page to be the definitive answer to the origins of myths, the supernatural, and unexplained mysteries. Really, the author seemed like a blowhard that was determined to destroy all magic and wonder in the world. Shad's curiosity to reach the author's explanation of the origins of mermaids had been the only motivation driving him to keep reading. Now he questioned himself as to why he had bothered to learn the author's opinion in the first place.

His father had told him once as a young boy, no more than seven, on the beach that there were mermaids in the ocean, and his father's words had stayed with him. Despite knowing now that his father had said those words in playful jest, Shad never relinquished his boyhood hope that there really were merfolk living in underwater kingdoms not too far out on horizon. Beings of magic and places unknown fascinated Shad. He wanted to meet these other societies and see realms few Hylians had the honor of seeing.

Deciding that a break to cool one's head and refuel one's body was in order, Shad made his way to the kitchen to find the family table decked out for lunch and tea. His mother informed him that she had been just about to call for him and requested that he join them.

"Shad, dearie, the Goddesses provided us a lovely day. When you're done eating, why not thank them for their blessing by enjoying it?" his mother said, gathering her skirt, as she sat down across from his father.

"Yes, son, it is a shame to fritter away the daylight hours in your room," his father said.

His parents were not wrong, of course, however the young scholar was busy working on several projects, all requiring hours of research. "I was hoping to accomplish a little more reading today, as the book I've perused the last hour has proven to be an absolute waste of time."

"Always a disappointment when that happens," Shad's father said, as he sprinkled his third heaping tablespoon of sugar into his tea. His mother was a tea purist, his father preferred all sorts of sweeteners and additives, while Shad was either, depending on the kind of tea and its quality. "But you know, books also possess this strange property where they can be read in just about any location, barring inclement weather. Fancy giving that capability a go?"

At his father's mild teasing, Shad was a touch embarrassed. "Father, I am aware of that."

"We only say anything to you out of concern, dearie. You've become rather reclusive," his mother said. "We support your appetite for learning, but we hope that your studies are not a shroud covering up other matters."

"Far from it, Mother, I assure you. I do promise to make a better effort to balance my studies with other endeavors," Shad said.

"Wonderful to hear! After all, all living beings require sunlight to thrive, and young scholars are no exception," his mother said brightly, as she raised her teacup to her lips. "You've begun to resemble our fine porcelain, dearie."

His mother's comparison surprised Shad so much that he forgot to swallow his bite before he asked, "Pardon, how so?"

"You're pale, son. You need more color on your face," his father said matter-of-factly, as a pink blush tinted Shad's cheeks. "Just like that."

It had not occurred to Shad that he had spent too long cooped up in his room, but now that his parents had mentioned it, he was not able to recall the last time he had stepped outside—after all, it had been a dismal winter and a rainy spring. He supposed that he could return the book he had been reading now that he had no reason to finish it—Shad did not typically hate read books. Once his last string of interest was severed, he made no effort to knot the string back.

Shad could have taken a more direct path to the library, but instead he walked along the road by the beach for the scenery. Shad loved the sea. The sea was fascinating. It was still early in the summer season and beach-goers were not yet crowding the coastline from dawn to dusk. Shad paused in his walk to admire the beautiful white diamonds glittering across the surface and take in the roar of the waves crashing against the surrounding rocks and churning frothy seafoam out onto the shore.

The young scholar was lost in thought when a seagull swooped down and snatched the book out from underneath his arm. Shad frantically pursued the bird down onto the beach. Why the gull even wanted the book was beyond Shad's imagination... But the book was too heavy for the bird to carry off, and the seagull laid it down on the rocks. To his luck, the bird became distracted, pecking at potential food lodged inside a crevasse a few hops away.

Shad gingerly walked on the boulders. He was only able to walk so far on certain rocks to minimize his risk of slipping or hurting himself. The book lay perilously balanced atop a boulder closest to the sea. It was just barely out of Shad's reach. Shad leaned forward and stretched his arm out for the book. The seagull took notice and charged at him.

"This isn't a hyoi pear, you wretched bird," Shad shouted, as he held his arm up to guard himself against the foul onslaught, as the seagull shrieked and battered him with its extended wings.

Praying that his grasping fingers did not knock it into the deep water below, Shad finally clasped the edge of the hardcover and pulled the book toward him. Once firmly in his hand, he ran for it. The incensed bird followed him. The young scholar was not about to let it.

"Quiet!" Shad ordered, and the seagull miraculously halted and clammed up. "This is a book." He opened the book up and closed it suddenly so that it made a loud bang. "See? It is not food!"

The seagull stared at Shad.

"Now if this book was not on loan from the library, I would not have minded your theft. I would have considered it a befitting end, in fact. Were it mine, I would chuck this book into the ocean myself." Shad had wanted to tell his father that, but his mother would not have approved of his harsh language at the family table.

The seagull waddled a few small steps forward and squawked.

"It's just…" Shad said, with a sigh, as he sat down on one of the larger boulders closer to the shore and hung his head. "How can I believe that the prince is saved by a porpoise or a mass of seaweed?"

The seagull tipped its head to the side inquisitively and squawked again.

"Oh, it's a story," Shad explained. "Actually, several stories, all variations on the original. There's even a cute picture show now. The story ends happily now, but it originally did not."

"It starts once upon a time, like all these stories do, and there is a mermaid who falls in love with a handsome prince after seeing him on his boat. After his boat is wrecked in a storm, the mermaid saves him from drowning and brings him to shore. In quick time, the mermaid realizes that she will never be able to be with the prince as long as she cannot walk on land, so she then travels to a sea witch—"

The seagull turned away and flew off, leaving Shad sad and a touch embarrassed that he had talked so openly to a seagull. Perhaps his parents' concerns for him were not unfounded. He certainly was not able to talk to his schoolmates about mermaids. Mermaids were right up there with unicorns as fake creatures and aesthetic trends that only girls liked, and even then the belief that mermaids actually existed was supposed to die off well before one's eighteenth birthday. Neither were true in Shad's case.

Even so, he knew that he should probably make more of an effort to forge stronger bonds with his classmates. Maybe then one of them would have the inclination to check in on him every once in a while during the summer break, and then Shad would not find himself on the beach alone explaining the plot to a fairytale to a seagull.

"And then what happens?"

Shad looked up and saw a young man by the rocks. The lad did not seem bothered at all by the slosh and splatter of the small waves slapping into him and was in fact casually leaning against the rocks as if they were oversized pillows. Shad had idea where he had came from, and the waves by the rocks were too violent to permit safe swimming.

The smiling lad had short, wet sandy blonde hair that had a rather rough chop look to it, as if it had been hacked away by something other than a pair of scissors. He had blue eyes, slightly darker than Shad's own but the color reminded him of the ocean depths. He was handsome and around Shad's age. Having never seen him at school or around town, Shad surmised he was a tourist. _Though he could have recently moved here, _his mind proposed. The thought made his heart swell with hope.

Not sure of what else to say to the fellow and finding his tongue a little tied at the moment, Shad managed to tell him the rest of the story. He even went into the various different endings the story had gone through over the centuries. They both agreed that their favorite ending was the more recent happily ever after where the mermaid and the prince fell in love and were wed.

The glint of the fellow's gold pendant kept catching Shad's eye, drawing his gaze in between his water-streaked pecs. Mind you that Shad was not ogling him, but Shad couldn't deny that he had a nice chest and abs. He was as trim and fit exactly like Shad had imagined how the body of a fellow who swam everywhere everyday would look like. Except he didn't actually have to imagine that. The proof was right in front of him. At a close proximity. And my, was it not a view...

"Do you like mermaids?" the young man asked, jarring Shad out of his reverie.

A jolt of warning bolted through Shad, reminding him to tread carefully. Too many times he had been asked that question and his positive reply had yielded a mocking snicker or an admonishment because he was too old, a boy, or that "he was supposed to be smarter than that". But Shad refused to give a half-truth or outright lie, as if he was ashamed for believing in mermaids. Because he wasn't ashamed. It still hurt to be teased mercilessly over it.

If a jeer was coming, then so be it. "I do, but many others do not see my admiration and wonder for them favorably. Such belief at my age is viewed as childish."

The lad blew a strong puff of air. "You can never be too old to believe in mermaids."

Shad didn't expect a positive answer. "Do you think it's possible that mermaids exist?"

"The sea is big," the lad said, gazing out over the horizon. "Maybe."

Shad was a bit taken aback. He wasn't used to talking about mermaids with someone his own age, or anyone really, and not have the conversation devolve into a lecture about growing up or how mermaids can't exist. Shad couldn't recall the last time that someone had at least humored him with the hope of wishing mermaids were out there with him.

"Are there more stories?" the lad asked, his gaze directed on the book in Shad's hands.

"In here? No, this book is hogwash," Shad said. "The writer of this book doesn't even believe mermaids could exist."

"Fancy that," the lad said, grinning, as he flipped his fish tail out of the water. A pair of thin, delicate gold necklaces lined with pearls lay snugly wrapped around the tapering base of the young man's fish tail. His scales resembled small leaves laid over one another.

"Y-You're a mermaid!" Shad fell backwards onto his hands. He stared in shock, his body vibrating from overexcited nerves, as he watched the handsome young man, _the mermaid, _hop up onto the rocks. He quickly turned himself around so that he sat up next to Shad.

"Well, you're half right," the mermaid said. "I'm more of a mermale."

"Oh, yes, of course! Pardon my slip of the tongue." Of course the hot guy Shad met on the beach that didn't think he was immature or barmy for believing in mermaids was one of the merfolk.

"You have no idea how thrilled I am to meet someone like you on the surface. Someone I can reveal what I am to," he said and offered his hand. "Name's Link." Both of his wrists were adorned with several gold bracelets and thin bangles lost at sea. Some were centuries old, by Shad's estimation. He seemed fond of gold—though that might be because, unlike other jewelry metals, pure gold would not rust or tarnish in seawater. Shad had to admit that the gold accented his emerald green scales very well.

"A pleasure and honor to meet you, Link. My name is Shad," he said, returning the handshake. "What, pray tell, brings you above the water?"

"I wanna know more about people. I've watched humans for months. You come to the shore, you swim, and you have fun, but then you leave," Link said, his pace quickening from excitement. "Where do you go? If you don't live in the sea, where do you live? What do you eat? How do you twirl around on your feet? Tell me everything."

Shad was taken aback by Link's fervid questioning. _He's so cute,_ Shad thought and then bowed his head and smiled. "Fate works in mysterious ways… Here we are, two different souls, each curious to know more about the other's world."

"Fate brought you here?" Link asked.

"No, a seagull purloined this book I was returning to the library," Shad explained. Link tilted his head to the side at the unfamiliar term. "A library is a large building filled full of books like this. Hundreds of stories, records of scientific and historical study, criticism and praises of just about anything, every person, and every event in the written history of Hyrule."

Shad swore he saw a pair of stars dance in Link's eyes. "Will you read them all to me?" he asked.

_ My, his enthusiasm for learning outshines even mine_. "If I possessed all the time in the world, I would. But even if I spent the rest of my life reading, I wouldn't be able to read everything there is."

It was quite a fancy to imagine, though—the two of them on the beach, sitting close, as Shad read to him day after day. Link's attention would solely be on him. He'd drink in every word and watch his lips move and try to predict what Shad was going to say next. Link would gaze so deeply in his eyes that he would be able to see the words reflected in his eyes. At first, the stories would be his main fascination, and he might claim that he was only interested in the stories, but then perhaps one day he would look at Shad and realize that he was enamored with more than the tales he told.

"I love stories. It doesn't matter to me if they're true or not," Link said, holding the hair away from his eyes as the ocean breeze picked up. "Tell me another one."

In hopes of his dream becoming truth one day, Shad told him another story. Shad learned that there was a mermaid kingdom as large and grand as Hyrule, but it existed in a parallel world that overlapped with their own and it could only be reached following paths that only mermaids could travel. In turn, he told Link about his life and his family and answered every one of his questions. And Link had many questions. The boys talked and talked until the sun hung just above the horizon and cast a rose and orange light on the water.

"May I see you again?" Shad asked.

"Are you kidding? I'll wait here everyday for you," Link replied, his smile brighter than the sunset as he leaned forward. Shad blinked in astonishment as Link pressed their foreheads together. "See you tomorrow."

Shad knew that he had murmured something along the lines of a "Yes, of course" but for the life of him, he was not able to piece together the actual words he had said. He hadn't expected the friendly, nay, _affectionate_ gesture. But perhaps he was reading too much into the matter—for all he knew, a light forehead press was a mermaid farewell.

Pushing himself off the rock, Link slipped back into the sea. A momentary bolt of panic ran through Shad as he watched Link dive underwater without first taking a deep breath before Shad realized that his drowning concerns were unwarranted and silly. Of course, Link was going to be all right—he was one of the merfolk. A real, living mermaid. His boyhood hopes and imaginings were not simply dreams but truths.

His gaze followed his shadow underwater, as Link swiftly swam several feet out toward the horizon before he popped his head out of the water and waved his whole arm in one last goodbye for the night to Shad.

Watching the sunset for several minutes after he was assured that Link was gone (and no doubt swimming through one of his mermaid paths to home), Shad sat alone once more on beach feeling more joyful than he ever had felt for most of his life. He appreciated the irony of spending all his days indoors reading and wondering about mermaids and their possible existence, and then actually meeting one during his first venture out after a dreary winter and spring season.

He briefly considered telling his mother and father about his discovery, but he much preferred keeping Link a secret for now. They would never believe him anyway. They were just going to try to convince him that Link was only a very good swimmer with flippers on. Besides, Shad always told his parents everything. It was rather exciting to possess a secret all to himself for once. He felt as if there was a ball of warmth circling gently inside his chest and he wasn't ready to share this wonderful feeling with anyone else yet.

Shad eventually came to wonder what in heavens was the weight in his lap, and then he gently admonished himself as he realized that he hadn't returned his book, thus he had failed to complete the very point of his excursion outside.

Thank goodness that the library had an evening dropbox.

-o-

The weeks turned into a month, and then another two weeks came and went, and not a single day went by that Shad was not visiting Link by sea in their secluded hiding spot by the rocks. Every morning, he ate breakfast hastily, dodged his parents' questions, and was off to the beach before the clock chimed nine.

Shad was in the best shape of his life. His morning walk had long since became a run. His long swims with Link, and not to mention his nightly routine of pushups, curl-ups, and oblique work, had carved away the scholarly pudge around his waist and stomach into something resembling abs. N-Not that he was trying to look more attractive for Link. Shad had simply wanted to make an effort to look less like a lump of bread dough next to Link's obvious peak condition. (But if Link did notice and started thinking differently about Shad, well...what was meant to be would be...)

The beach was growing busier and busier, though the absolute peak of the summer season had yet to officially hit. Tourists were unlikely to come down to their rocky, secluded part of the shoreline, but Shad was not about to claim that the possibility was never going to occur. Nonetheless, they always swam away from rest of the beach-goers, just in case anyone saw that Link's mermaid tail wasn't simply an exceptional costume.

"This is for you." Link said, as Shad stripped down to his swim trunks. He held out a large crystal orb attached to a bracelet. Inside the orb was a shimmering golden fish scale floating within swirling arcs of gold-green magic. "You'll swim even better and you can dive with me."

It wasn't as fragile as he had initially thought, but it was lightweight. The magic enveloped the scale in tumultuous ocean waves and occasionally a mermaid tail seemed to rise out of a falling wave. It was beautiful. "I appreciate the gesture, but this is too generous—"

"It's mine to give," Link said. Shad felt a familiar flutter as Link clasped the bracelet around his wrist and gingerly turned the bangle around to let the orb hang down in accordance with gravity.

The golden scale did vastly improve his ability to swim and dive. Shad felt more on par with Link and kept up with him more easily, though he was never going to outperform a mermaid in the water. The fact of which was never more on display as Shad followed Link underwater and Link effortlessly intertwined himself around Shad. He wrapped his arms around his neck in a snug hug and dragged him farther down.

They swam through gorgeous coral reef and colorful bouquets of sea anemones clustered together, seeing all sorts of fish and sea creatures with striking colors and patterns packing the smallest crevasses and gaps, meadows of deep green and caramel colored seaweed, and beds of mussels and strange mollusks and starfish creeping along the sea bed. Link and Shad panicked once as a great sea serpent charged toward them before they realized that the monster was simply a large school of silver-blue fish twisting around and darting to and fro in perfect synchrony.

For the greater part of the afternoon, Link and Shad explored the ocean. A bale of sea turtles swam by, and to Shad's awe, they did not seem to pay any heed to him swimming alongside them. Paintings and pictographs could not compare to being underwater amid the natural wonders. Shad paused to admire the open sea, where rays of sunlight shone down through the clear blue water.

Link caught Shad's attention and pointed to the surface. He had been spending a lot of time around a shipwreck shifting through the surrounding sand.

"What's this?" Link asked after Shad broke the surface and found his bearings. He held out a sharply-edged golden shard. It appeared to be broken off in several places.

"I'm not sure, old boy," Shad said, looking over the faintly-glowing metal. "Perhaps it's a piece of a Triforce." Though Shad had suggested that somewhat jokingly, the more he considered the possibility, the more he was convinced that his mild jest might be the truth.

"Triforce?" Link asked.

"Three golden relics the Goddesses bestowed upon the Hylians, each attributed to the virtues of Power, Wisdom, and Courage. When the full Triforce is assembled, it is said that the wielder will be granted their heart's desire," Shad explained. "Is there not a Triforce or something similar in your world?"

Link shook his head. "No, not at all. Neat story though," he said, gazing in fascination at the warm gold light. "What I'd want is to be able to become human."

The possible piece of Triforce glowed brightly and melted like a pad of butter in Link's hand, the gold liquid absorbing into his palm. A tidal wave suddenly washed over Link and Shad and tossed them out onto the shoreline. The water twisted around Link's waist and legs like a waterspout. The tide rushed out as quickly as it had crashed into them, taking Link's mermaid tail with it and leaving him a pair of human legs in its place. The divine ocean magic also had the foresight to clothe him in a pair of low-cut trunks.

"I have feet!" Link said, and then laughed in joy and childlike wonder of his new human lower half while he spread and closed his legs through the sand.

_But that was just a shard, _Shad thought, as Link discovered how to wiggle his toes. _Still it granted his wish anyway. _Perhaps it was divine whim seeing no harm in giving a mermaid legs. Certainly the Goddesses were known to do some random good now and again.

Link suddenly froze. He had a confounded look plastered across his face. "Wait. How do I stand up?"

"Here, I'll help you," Shad said, offering his hands to help support and pull Link up. It took a bit of instruction and coaching, but eventually Link stood steady on his new feet.

He looked around, taking in and marveling at his change of perspective. There was something positively charming about Link's awe. The way his face lit up, his open-mouthed gasp, his wide eyes viewing his surroundings anew, Link saw magic in things Shad considered mundane and had long taken for granted, like being able to stand up on his own.

Link asked him to teach him how to walk.

"W-Well, of course!" Shad said, stepping back a bit to permit Link room to walk forward. "Small steps at first."

Balancing himself by holding onto Shad's forearms, Link slowly toddled through the sand. His legs certainly had the strength and the muscles to support him—_oh, did he ever_—but walking was an entirely new process for his new form, even if he was learning how at a remarkably rapid pace.

After more than a month, Shad had thought that he was used to seeing Link shirtless, but all of a sudden, he felt flustered and tongue-tied again. In retrospect, perhaps giving Link walking lessons in just their swimming trunks was not his best decision. If he focused on teaching and on Link's progress, and not on Link's firm grip on his forearms, or his chest and abs, or how low his shorts hung on his hips—by heavens, Link's trunks were _short. _

Shad had to look away. He reflexively closed his eyes and shook his head to clear his mind of any lingering, leery thoughts and images.

"Something wrong?" Link asked.

"Not at all," he quickly replied. "You're doing well. Keep going."

If Shad focused on none of that and paid attention to what he was supposed to be, he wasn't going to make things awkward between as Shad kept his eyes on Link's feet, he was still able to see a dark blue bump in his peripheral view.

Ignore it or not ignore it, Shad didn't know if he should pursue his feelings or suppress them. Link may not feel the same way about him, and there was the matter of him being a mermaid. Romantic advances could be interpreted very differently between their cultures for all Shad knew.

And Shad liked the joy his feelings for Link brought him. He liked imagining the two of them as a couple behaving as loving couples do. He had daydreamed about this very situation where Link had magically obtained human legs and the two of them were free to go anywhere and do anything. Imagining Link on a date was harmless fun. But he could be having actual fun if he asked Link out. It was times like these that Shad wished he too had a singing crab to urge him on to plunge forward with the courage to express his feelings to Link.

"You seem to have the basics down. Do you want to try walking without support for a bit?" Because eventually Link was going to have to. Shad couldn't walk backwards for the rest of his life steadying Link's balance. Though he would be happy to. There were surely worse fates than constantly facing a handsome mermaid and being a step away from holding him in his arms.

"Sure. But can you still hold my hand?" Link asked and then quickly added, "Just in case."

"Yes, for how ever long you need," Shad said. That sounded all right in his head a second ago but after saying it aloud, Shad wasn't so sure. He did want to test the waters, so to speak, but he wasn't so sure on how far he wanted to hint at his feelings.

And then Link interlaced their fingers. Shad had considered doing so but had been too concerned that that would be too forward. Link clearly had no such concerns. _Do try not to have a goofy smile on your face, _Shad told himself but that mental note was probably already a second too late. Shad was smiling rather tight-lipped in an effort to curb his swell of emotion. He finally understood why roses were associated with optimism and cheeriness—he felt as if he and Link should be framed in blossoming roses. They were walking down the beach just as Shad had always imagined. The surf splashed up to their ankles. Their toes sunk into the squashy, wet sand. If only the hour was near sunset, then Shad's fantasy would be complete.

But of course, since he was feeling wonderful, Shad's habit of over-thinking and considering the worst outcomes had to kick into play. Link holding his hand could be a misunderstanding. Shad could be reading more into his affectionate gesture than there was intended. But it could be the truth, and Link was attracted to him too. There was only one way to know what was right and Shad knew what that was—after all, sometimes the best way to gauge the water's temperature was to dash headlong into the surf. What was the worst that Link could say? That they were only friends.

"I like you," Shad blurted out.

To Shad's surprise, and without any hesitation, Link replied,"I like you too."

He didn't mean that. Not in the way Shad intended. "I mean, as more than a friend," he clarified.

"I know."

He meant it. His honest, confident tone assured that. Link not only understood his feelings—he shared them. The realization left Shad gobsmacked. He would be more inclined to believe this was a dream, except for Link's unbroken grip on his hand. That felt too real to be a fantasy.

"H-How about I show you around town then?" he proposed.

"As a date?" Link asked, with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"It is most certainly a date," Shad said, and very quickly found himself being dragged hand in hand by a very eager, excited mermaid running away from the beach. The first place Link requested to see? The library.

-o-

_Is this real? Or have I fabricated all this in my mind? _Shad thought, finally getting a moment in this wonderfully hectic day to relax. Link lay on Shad's bed looking through his textbooks. Link didn't know how to read Hylian—after all, books were not waterproof—but he found the illustrations fascinating. He lay on his stomach, his feet up in the air, thumbing through page after page. He had wildflowers from the meadow in his hair.

Today had been an absolutely, positively delightful day. Shad had followed Link through the library as he wandered from row to row with his head craned up, mouth open, eyes wide at all the full bookcases. It was cute how awe-struck Link was. And then it was cute how he bounced with excitement in market, dragging Shad from shop to shop, from one vendor to another, asking what everything was or what it was for. At one point, Link found the butcher's shop, saw the meat for his favorite sandwiches on display, and exuberantly shouted "Ham!" loud enough to startle the block. They had ended their day at the meadow cliffs just beyond the port village where the long grass swaying in the wind reminded Link of the seaweed drifting in the current. They had plans to go back to the meadow and watch the sunset and fireflies.

Meeting his parents had gone well, in Shad's opinion. Luckily, his father had found Link's reply that he was from "Out over the sea, past the horizon" amusing and had not pressed him for specifics. His parents seemed to like Link, especially since he had catalyzed Shad's positive changes. They did quickly make the connection that Link was the reason Shad was spending so much time at the beach, though Shad doubted that they suspected that Link was anything more than a new friend.

"Is it hard to learn?" Link asked. "To dance." He tried recreating the moves he saw the dancers by the central fountain performing earlier, and for no dance training and only watching a partial routine, Link was quite good. No one would have ever believed that he had just learned how to walk today.

"No, not really. Professionally is another beast altogether, of course, but to dance for yourself, for fun and celebration, it is not terribly difficult to learn." _I say, the haste at which he learns and picks up new skills is remarkable. I wish that I was as fortunate to be blessed with such an ability._

"Can you teach me?"

"Me? Heavens, no. I was born with two left feet." _Besides, you appear quite capable on your own._

Shad knew he should have known better than to say that, as a confused Link paused mid-step and peered down at Shad's feet. "Sorry, old boy, I did not mean that literally. It's a figure of speech," he explained. "I don't dance well is what I should have said."

"Then when I learn, I'll teach you."

Shad smiled. "I would enjoy that very much."

Before they had spent the day roaming the city, Shad had Link borrow some clothes—just some tan trousers with suspenders and a white dress shirt Shad had outgrown but looked far better on Link than they ever had on him. For instance, the fit of the trousers emphasized the shapeliness of his behind rather than negated it like they had on Shad. Bending down and up and twirling around in place certainly also brought Shad's attention to his body. While none of Link's moves were particularly provocative, Shad couldn't deny that they were having an effect.

Shad crossed his legs and angled himself away from direct view.

"Am I getting on your nerves?" Link had seen his discomfort and assumed he was at fault.

"Not at all! If anything, I'm probably boring you." Shad was used to that happening.

"Being here, with you, on the surface, every part of me is overflowing with this intense, crackling energy, and I can't do anything about it. I'm jittery. I feel like if I sit still, I'll burst. I want to know, to see, to understand everything at once this second."

"That's a lot to take in at once. You're overstimulated, old boy."

"I don't know how to focus myself. Except when it involves you." Link plopped back down on the bed next to Shad. "I wonder if this is how the mermaid felt when she met her prince on land for the first time..."

"Then she was happy," Shad said, as he put an arm around Link's shoulders and pressed him into a one-armed embrace. "Happy that no barriers or limitations were keeping her from the one she loved."

"And I didn't have to visit a sea witch to get my legs." Link's shoulders shook from suppressed laughter.

A realization dawned on Shad. "Wait. Does that make me a prince?"

"No," Link said, grinning. "It makes you a handsome prince."

Shad smiled as he looked down and away. Link's compliments always made him feel a tinge of embarrassment. He wasn't used to anyone but his parents saying nice things to him. He wondered if he owed a seagull a basket of chips for leading him to Link.

Shad swayed forward, catching Link in a short, sweet kiss. Several in a row actually. Shad couldn't help but be a little cautious—this wasn't his first kiss but he wasn't exactly experienced, and it was the first kiss he had ever initiated. His lips slowly moved over Link's, exploring and savoring their gentle touch. Shad ran his fingers through Link's hair, which seemed to disperse the clean, salty smell of the sea into the air.

Never had Shad known what it meant to yearn for somebody until now. He leaned back to let the both of them breathe, but it was not long before Link closed what short distance there was between them yet again. Rapidly, their kiss became an unhurried dance of tongue on tongue. Shad felt swept away from his bedroom. Nothing else seemed to exist, but Link and this rush of sensation immersing Shad in heat and the overwhelming desire to taste more of Link. His parents' favorite opera playing on the radio in the next room masked their soft moans and any other sort of questionable noises they made.

Suddenly they were all hands sweeping up each other's sides and thighs, seeking friction they both wanted, groping at covered flesh, but they never took the next step of removing their clothes. Link did pull Shad's shirt up out of his pants and drifted a couple fingers down the dip of his lower back. Shad shuddered and arched his back. Link's body felt permanently warmed by the sun, his touch searing to his bare skin. Shad welcomed the sun's embrace.

One thing the both of them were certain on—the fireflies would have to wait for another evening.

-o-

Warm breath tickling the fine hairs on the back of his neck startled Shad awake. Unused to the warmth and weight of someone in the bed next to him, he panicked a second before his memory kicked in and he remembered that it was only Link and that he had stayed over last night.

And about last night…

Shad's face still flushed thinking about it.

They weren't thinking, not with their brains at least. It was reckless. They could have been heard. His parents could have caught them. But they weren't and they didn't. It was fortunate that they hadn't—neither one of them had the forethought to sling a cover over himself.

He couldn't stand laying on his right side anymore. Shad's bed was only a twin. It took a little fuss and wedging, and Link groaned in protest, but Shad eventually made it onto his back, and Link resumed sleeping, his head resting on Shad's bare chest, one of his legs splayed over Shad's.

Shad wondered if Link was human now. And if that was the case, then he wasn't going to be able to travel the mermaid paths home. While he had talked about his friends and extended family, Link didn't seemed bothered by the thought of being cut off from them, but it was possible that in his excitement and joy he hadn't realized all the ramifications of his wish.

He didn't have the heart to disrupt Link's sleep a second time. Good thing Shad never had a book far out of reach. He held a book in the air in one hand and idly stroked Link's hair with the other. For now, it was better to let Link dream happily. After breakfast, Shad planned on bringing up the matter of his home world delicately.

And then, out from the depths of sleep, Link suddenly sat up, his eyes wide with alarm. "I have to go. To the sea."

Shad didn't have time to ask what was the matter before Link was out of the bed and running in only his swim trunks. Shad scrambled to hop into some trousers and slip on some shoes and chased after him.

It was a cloudy, gray early morning, the temperature a little brisk on his bare skin. There were barely any cars or people walking around. Knowing of no other direction to take to reach the sea any quicker, Shad dashed down the route he ran everyday to see Link.

Fragments of thoughts and strands of questions cast adrift through his mind. Did Link realize that he was stuck here? Shad couldn't help but feel a stab of hurt that Link's panic was the result of realizing that he was trapped here and he didn't want to be. Was Link only okay with living with Shad if he knew that he was able to escape to his home anytime?

No, no, that wasn't Link. Shad had to be over-thinking this. Link probably was scared and hadn't realized until now that he was cut off from his world. After all, he had made his wish without knowing it would be granted in the first place. In his excitement and eagerness to learn, the full consequences of becoming human never would have dawned on him.

Link was running ahead of him by several yards. Shad called to Link. He didn't look back. If he was scared and feeling trapped, then why run from him? They could talk things over. Shad could hold him and assure him that everything was going to be okay until his fears subsided. Link was not abandoned here. He had a home. And someone who loved him very much. After everything said and done, did his love for him truly pale in comparison to his home?

There was a golden glow around Link's feet. Shad watched as it rose over his ankles and continued on up his legs. By the time the shoreline was in view, Link was enveloped in a golden aura. Nothing made sense. Was he leaving him? What was the light for? How dare he decide to go without having the decency to say goodbye! He was owed that much.

Link ran into the gray-blue surf and stopped. He held out his outstretched hands away from his sides. The roar of the sea drowned out Shad's pleas to Link to come back to the beach. A moist wind speckled his glasses with tiny spits of rain. The violent waves churned and shattered against Link, covering him in thick seafoam. Fear bolted through Shad, momentarily believing that Link's body had dissolved into foam like the rejected mermaid's did in the original ending of her tale. A new fear deposed the first as he saw Link drop into the sea and get swallowed underwater.

Shad bit back strong words as he ran through the chilly seawater. A swell of golden liquid light pooled into the water. The liquid light took shape as a large triangle before ripples warped its form into a seagull that flew underwater toward the horizon. Taking a deep breath, Shad dove beneath the water. He did not see Link anywhere. In fact, he saw little of anything as the water grabbed him and splashed him back onto the shore.

Link lay next to him.

Shad pushed himself off the sand. Link was already sitting up. He had a mermaid tail.

"I didn't deserve it," he said, wistfully dragging a hand down his scales where his right thigh once was. "The Try Fork. They took it back."

Shad snatched Link by the shoulders and pulled him into a hug. "I'm so grateful that you're okay, old boy." And that his worries were nothing more than fiction his melancholic mind had fabricated. Link didn't want to leave at all. The Triforce had compelled him to the sea. Link's transformation was only temporary. A single, small piece of the Triforce wasn't enough.

"I already miss standing side by side you," Link said. The clouds had opened up and the sun had negated some of the dreary morning. The sky was less gray and more hinted with a washed-out pale blue.

"If we were to put together a piece of the Triforce, or even assemble the completed relic..." Shad speculated aloud, his beads of thought stringing together quickly, "you could have the capability to switch forms at will."

"That would be wonderful, but they're all across the ocean. I can't be away from you that long."

"I'll go with you," Shad exuberantly assured Link and took hold of his hands. "I'll buy a boat. I'll learn how to sail, navigate, everything. We'll find the Triforce together." Link's eyes shined with gratitude.

He knew that such an undertaking was mad and dangerous and Shad didn't care. He had been called mad for years for believing in mermaids. Perhaps it was time he did something to warrant those claims. Then again, mermaids were real and was it really all that mad to go to the literal ends of the earth for one's love?

Shad didn't think so.

-o-

Every once in a while, one of Shad's college mates asked another fellow in their year what ever happened to Shad, and then the same story was lazily dragged out from their spotty memories. That Shad bought himself a boat straight after college, set out to sea, and no one had seen him since. Not even his parents knew for certain where he was or even if he was coming back. Inevitably, in their alcohol-induced night of remembrance, someone recalled how Shad used to natter on about mermaids, and they would laugh and joke the rest of the night about him, the daft fool, going out to search for them.

Then one day, Shad came back.

He came back tanned and more broader in the shoulders than anyone recalled the last they had seen of him. His hair was pulled back into a low, bobbed ponytail and bound by a dark blue ribbon. He had a tight, well-groomed beard worthy of a sea captain gone ten years. The only reason his mates recognized Shad was because they had mistaken him for his father. No one knew who the shorter, blond man with his own kempt beard holding Shad's hand was.

One of his mates approached him at the bar and exchanged pleasantries and a stiff handshake with him and Link. His mate offered to buy both of them a beer. Shad declined but said a cup of wildberry tea would be marvelous. Link ordered a glass of milk.

With three bottles of beer and four glasses of milk downed, Shad and his old classmate was finally caught up on the goings-on in their lives and what happened in the town over the years while Shad was gone. Shad had explained his journey in a tight-lipped manner, having said that he had wanted to take a trip and see the world. He had chosen to go by sea simply because...well, he had always loved the sea.

The fellow grinned and asked in a joking manner. "Did you ever find a mermaid?"

"In fact, I did," Shad said.

Not sure if he was a little buzzed by the quick alcohol consumption or his classmate was humoring him, but the fellow looked wide-eyed at him and eagerly asked, "So what happened? Did she grant you a wish?"

"He did. I asked him to make me the happiest man in the world." With his hand resting on top of Link's hand on the bar, Shad turned to Link and said, "And he said yes."

"But what did you get?" he asked, agog and confused. "You could've asked for anything, everything, and you wanted to be perpetually happy?" His old classmate walked off shaking his head and swearing that he was as barmy as ever.

"I don't think he understood the ending," Link said, grinning.

"Perhaps I should have spelled things out more for him. First matter being that not all mermaids are female."

"Well, I liked how your story ended," Link said, as their wedding bands glinted in the soft bar lighting.


End file.
